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THE TRANSMISSION GALLERY

BLACK HILL A

Photos by Dan Glover Page last updated: 2020-10-03

October 2010 - FM, DAB and legacy services (updated August 2014)

This is a "busy" site! Although DSO has resulted in a new mast there had been no other transfer of services, with the possible exception of the Glasgow DAB multiplex.

The weather conditions and use of a fairly basic camera mean some of these photos are not as clear as I would have liked, but I think all the expected services have been identified. There are, of course, a few curiosities up there as well.






In this and the next few photos we're to the south of the mast. Glasgow is to the left, Edinburgh to the right...


At the very top, a strange umbrella structure and below that a "skew fire" arrangement of panels for pre-DSO DTT Muxes 1, 2 and D, which was placed in the former Band III aperture, at 298m

Just below is a set of dipoles which could have been for the Glasgow regional DAB multiplex - 292m bearing 270 - although this seems likely to have transferred to the new mast.


Next at 282m we have the BBC analogue UHF array, consisting of 8 tiers of panels. Below that is the IBA analogue UHF array at about 270m. An unusual arrangement of 4 tiers of panels with a gap between lowest tier and the one above. I can only speculate that the gap may be to provide null filling.


Yet more panels, this time for Channel 5 analogue and interim DTT muxes A, B & C, at 264m AGL.

The arms sticking out below the stays are for wind vanes and anemometers. Black Hill features a number of these.


Now for some local radio. On the left the multiple crossed yagis transmit Clyde FM towards Glasgow. Ofcom has this as 228m AGL, maximum ERP bearing 260.

On the right the single VP log must be for Forth FM, aimed towards Edinburgh - 225m AGL bearing 075.


A better view from a visit in August 2014, but I missed one of the yagis when composing the photo!

We understand the Clyde array was replaced later in 2014 and is now a simplified arrangement of dipoles


The BBC networks use this mixed polarisation array at 200m, as does Classic FM


Further down things are a bit less busy - but there's still plenty of interest...


To the left, more crossed yagis - most likely for Smooth Radio at 161m on bearing 265. Lower down are phased pairs of dipoles for the Edinburgh DAB multiplex - 154m bearing 090.


Slightly below there's a group of four HP Band II logs facing the camera. We believe these receive Sandale for RBS purposes.


The quality is poor but apparently four UHF logs to the left (south west) and four more to the right (north east). Possibly RBS or monitoring purposes directed towards Darvel and Craigkelly respectively? It's just possible that two of the logs on the right are pointing further to the north towards Angus.


This view was taken from slightly to the north west of the mast...


There's another mixed polarisation array - this time of four tiers with a different "arrow head" design. This is probably shared by Capital FM and Heart FM and around 175m AGL.


Between the Sandale RBS array and Edinburgh DAB level (dipole just visible top left) are these two Siras. Assumed to be a reserve facility as nothing is documented by Ofcom at this level.


A slightly clearer view of the Siras and RBS array taken from directly west of the mast. Slight damage to the RBS logs is evident. It's windy up there!

Black Hill A index

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